Teachers who BF('ed): Pumping at recess?

CubbyMama

How do you pump at recess when you only have 10-15 minutes? 

I think I would hardly get any milk in that amount of time!  I don't have a problem with Elliana getting a little formula here and there if I'm not able to pump enough (though I have 3 months to save up, so that shouldn't be an issue if all goes well), but will only 10 minutes at recess and then pumping at lunch and maybe after school be enough to keep my milk supply up?  I'll be working 2-3 days a week again starting in August.

mollynpatrick

Hmmm - not sure how you'd do it in that small amount of time! I have an hour for lunch/recess so I would eat for the first 30-40 minutes and then pump. By the end of the school year I started getting lazy and I would want to sit and talk and would give myself less time - maybe 15-20 minutes. If you are more coordinated and get yourself into a routine (and have teammates that will cover for you at first while you get things down pat) I'm sure you'll be fine! I also pumped at my specials time - probably for another 20 min or so.

 ETA: I meant to say more coordinated *than me*!

july05bride2

probably not....but i am NOT completely sure.  i am a middle school teacher and i only pumped during my conference period for about 20 minutes.  and because i only got 2-3 ounces each time, to me it wasn't worth pumping.  from the moment rachel was born i wasn't making enough so we supplemented.  at home we would mix the formula and breastmilk and during the evening when my hubby was feeding her formula, i pumped.  if i had a better supply then i wouldn't have given up on pumping or breastfeeding but things were okay in the end.  good luck to you!

REOM

No way, that is barely enough time to go to the bathroom and back in time!

I had 50 minutes for lunch or prep when I pumped at work.

One tip from my LC- you don't need to sterilize/clean your pump parts in between pumpings. I would waste a lot of precious time washing the parts when it wasn't necessary b/c even if there was a little residual milk, it is okay for 8 hours unrefrigerated. So just wiping it down saved me time since I pumped twice- lunch and prep.

luckyluvr

I never BF, but my co-worker did. We have a 15 minute break in the morning, and then we have a 29 min. lunch (it's hs, so that's it for breaks). She was able to pump in that time and keep her supply up until the baby  was 1 (8 mo. into the school year). She just put a mini-fridge in her class for storage.

squishywife

i get 30 minutes for lunch (while the kids are at recess).  i pump for 10 - maybe 15 if i am stretching it.  then i eat.  i used to get 10 oz a session. i also pumped before school and on my prep.

after xmas (she was 8 mons old) i got less and less until i started getting at most 2 oz a day...then when she turned 1 i stopped pumping at school altogether.

you can do it!

wildflower865

That sounds like a weird schedule you have.  I pumped at specials (30 min) and lunch/recess (60 min) with my first.  My day was nicely broken up into thirds that year.  With my 2nd child, I had a 5 hour block before my first break, so I went to the principal and said that I will be needing to pump, and how will we make that happen?  I had some suggestions already, someone who could cover if the principal wasn't supportive, had contacted LLL for literature about how it will make my baby healthier, therefore I will be out of work less...and also had the doctor write a note on his prescription pad that I needed to pump for medical reasons.  None of that ended up being necessary.  The principal even let me use her office.  But if you approach it like solving a problem, it might help.

wildflower865

Also, I ate lunch while pumping with the Medela PISA.  Hooked myself up and then ate:)  It took about 20 min including locking the door, set up, clean up.  I didn't spend a lot of time cleaning parts, but did rinse stuff out. Since I pumped twice, and sometimes 3x if I had a meeting after school, I had to combine bottles sometimes so I would have bottles to pump into.